Designer Jonathan C. Nelson
Existing walking paths informed the design for an elementary school in a wooded park in Milwaukee's upper east side. How can program respect the existing movement and transparency of an established public space?

The plan introduces diagonal cuts into a large programmatic block, but then allows the building skin to flow naturally across the space. The result is a loose collection of open floor plans woven together through circulation.
A variety of learning spaces, anchored by a central core, are visible within each learning "pod." More public activities occur near the floor, while more private activities take place above in the "canopy." A forest of structural wood columns encourages a direct tactile connection with nature. Children can interact with the building's structural system and learn spontaneously and creatively, much as they do when climbing trees.
A continuous glass skin encloses the entire volume, permitting an open floor plan layout. Fabrication technique played an important role in the concept design. A mass was carved from foam and MDF, using a CNC router mill. A vacuum forming machine produced a skin from the shape, which was used to develop a conceptual paper model. Eventually, the skin was paired with a complete 3D printed structural model to demonstrate the concept.
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Existing walking paths informed the design for an elementary school in a wooded park in Milwaukee's upper east side. How can program respect the existing movement and transparency of an established public space?

The plan introduces diagonal cuts into a large programmatic block, but then allows the building skin to flow naturally across the space. The result is a loose collection of open floor plans woven together through circulation.
A variety of learning spaces, anchored by a central core, are visible within each learning "pod." More public activities occur near the floor, while more private activities take place above in the "canopy." A forest of structural wood columns encourages a direct tactile connection with nature. Children can interact with the building's structural system and learn spontaneously and creatively, much as they do when climbing trees.
A continuous glass skin encloses the entire volume, permitting an open floor plan layout. Fabrication technique played an important role in the concept design. A mass was carved from foam and MDF, using a CNC router mill. A vacuum forming machine produced a skin from the shape, which was used to develop a conceptual paper model. Eventually, the skin was paired with a complete 3D printed structural model to demonstrate the concept.
Existing walking paths informed the design for an elementary school in a wooded park in Milwaukee's upper east side. How can program respect the existing movement and transparency of an established public space?

The plan introduces diagonal cuts into a large programmatic block, but then allows the building skin to flow naturally across the space. The result is a loose collection of open floor plans woven together through circulation.
A variety of learning spaces, anchored by a central core, are visible within each learning "pod." More public activities occur near the floor, while more private activities take place above in the "canopy." A forest of structural wood columns encourages a direct tactile connection with nature. Children can interact with the building's structural system and learn spontaneously and creatively, much as they do when climbing trees.
A continuous glass skin encloses the entire volume, permitting an open floor plan layout. Fabrication technique played an important role in the concept design. A mass was carved from foam and MDF, using a CNC router mill. A vacuum forming machine produced a skin from the shape, which was used to develop a conceptual paper model. Eventually, the skin was paired with a complete 3D printed structural model to demonstrate the concept.
Existing walking paths informed the design for an elementary school in a wooded park in Milwaukee's upper east side. How can program respect the existing movement and transparency of an established public space?

The plan introduces diagonal cuts into a large programmatic block, but then allows the building skin to flow naturally across the space. The result is a loose collection of open floor plans woven together through circulation.
A variety of learning spaces, anchored by a central core, are visible within each learning "pod." More public activities occur near the floor, while more private activities take place above in the "canopy." A forest of structural wood columns encourages a direct tactile connection with nature. Children can interact with the building's structural system and learn spontaneously and creatively, much as they do when climbing trees.
A continuous glass skin encloses the entire volume, permitting an open floor plan layout. Fabrication technique played an important role in the concept design. A mass was carved from foam and MDF, using a CNC router mill. A vacuum forming machine produced a skin from the shape, which was used to develop a conceptual paper model. Eventually, the skin was paired with a complete 3D printed structural model to demonstrate the concept.